Chemical Engineering

Chemical engineering applies principles of chemistry and physics to the design and production of materials that undergo chemical changes during their manufacture. Chemical engineer also participates in efforts to maintain a clean environment and to create substitutes for or find ways to preserve our natural resources. The activities of a chemical engineer are in many fields like petroleum refining, fertilizer technology, precessing of food and agricultural products, synthetic food, petrochemicals, synthetic fibres, coal and mineral based industries and prevention and control of environmental pollution. Chemical engineers will e needed to develop new polymeric materials for medical devices, light-weight alloys for aircraft and solid state materials that allow electronic miniaturization and further development of the computer industry. Improved health care also will requre new manufacturing processes for pharmaceutical products.

The work of Chemical Engineers, the most versatile of all engineers, involve the invention, development, design, operation and management of processes in industries. So they combine the work of several fields such as those of chemists, industrial engineers, materials engineers as well as electrical engineers. Chemical engineers are responsible for the availability of modern high-quality materials that are essential for running an industrial economy. They design equipments and operate chemical plants as well as determine the problems and find the best methods of production

Chemical engineering largely involves the design and maintenance of chemical processes for large scale manufacture. Chemical engineers in this branch are usually employed under the title of process engineer.

Chemical engineers are aiming for the most economical process. This means that the entire production chain must be planned and controlled for cost. A chemical engineer can both simplify and complicate "showcase" reactions for an economic advantage. Using a higher pressure or temperature makes several reactions easier; ammonia, for example, is simply produced from its component elements in a high pressure reactor.

Three primary physical laws underlying chemical engineering design are Conservation of mass, Conservation of momentum and Conservation of energy. The movement of mass and evergy around a chemial process are evaluated using Mass balances and energy balances which apply these laws to whole plants, unit operations or discrete parts of equipment. In doing so, Chemical Engineers use principles of thermodynaics, reaction kinetics and transport phenomena. The task of performing these balnces is now aided by process simulators, which are comples software models (such as Pro II and Hysys) that can solve mass and energy balances and usually have built in modules to simulate a variety of common unit operations.

The modern discipline of chemical engineering encompasses much more than just process engineering. Chemical engineers are now engaged in the development and production of a diverse range of products, as well as in commodity and specialty chemicals. These products include high performance materials needed for aerospace, automotive, biomedical, electronic, environmental and military applications. Examples include ultra-strong fibers, fabrics, adhesives and composites for vehicles, bio-compatible materials for implants and prosthetics, gels for medical applications, pharmaceutials, and films with special dielectric, optical or spectroscopic properties for opto-electronic devices. Additionally, chemical engineering is often intertwined with biology and biomedical engineering. Many chemical engineers work on biological projects such as understanding bioploymers and mapping the human genome.

Eligibility and course areas

To become a chemical engineer one should have a graduate degree (B.E / B.Tech) or postgraduate degree (M.E) in Chemical Engineering. There are both degree as well as diploma courses. One can go for the 3 year diploma course after the 10th standard (SSC). The basic eligibility criteria for a BE / B.Tech is 10+2 or equivalent examination, with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.

Duration : BE / B.Tech courses are of 4 years' duration.